Highland Tech notches first baseball playoff victory

MURPHY — Ethan Reep struck out 13 batters and supported himself with two hits as Highland Tech beat host Murphy 6-3 on Thursday for the Rams’ first baseball playoff win in school history.

Reep (3-6), a junior left-hander, increased his season strikeout total to 126 as Highland Tech, in the 1A state playoffs as a wildcard, upset the Big Smoky Mountain Conference’s No. 2 seed in a first-round matchup.

“With Ethan on the mound, they feel they can beat anybody,” Highland Tech coach Tommy Shumaker said. “It’s just a matter of hitting the ball.”

Easton Payton had two hits including a double, and the Rams also got production from Bryant Baucom (double) and Chris Puryear (single).

“We played great,” Shumaker said. “We jumped on them in the first inning and hit the ball well.”

Bronson Short pitched the save for Highland Tech (8-15), which had already set a school record for wins. The previous record was five in 2005.